Editorial: City needs post-parade plan now

Friday

Feb 29, 2008 at 12:01 AMFeb 29, 2008 at 4:22 PM

AT ISSUE: St. Patrick’s celebrants must be aware of rules in advance.

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Utica Public Safety Commissioner Daniel LaBella says he and other city officials, along with tavern owners, have been meeting to hammer out a plan regarding the March 15 St. Patrick’s Day post-parade celebration. That’s a good first step, given past troubles surrounding an event that traditionally draws thousands of merrymakers to the brewery district.

Most important will be for the city to communicate that plan loudly and clearly to the public so there are absolutely no questions about consequences if the rules are broken.
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Those rules need to be tough ones given the history. Various problems have existed at least since 1991, when numerous fights erupted among the thousands of people spilling out of bars along Varick and Columbia streets, including a group of several dozen youths that vandalized a police patrol car.

Last year, eight Utica police officers were injured in a brawl that began inside The Vault bar at the corner of Columbia and Varick streets. Utica Capt. John Toomey said it was the worst he’d seen in 16 or 17 years. One officer suffered a head injury and received treatment at St. Elizabeth Medical Center, while several people were arrested on charges ranging from disorderly conduct to assault.

Part of the problem in the past has been lax enforcement of the laws. Even though alcohol had been banned along the parade route in 1991, the law was flouted and not enforced. Following the 1991 mayhem, organizers moved the parade from Varick and Columbia streets to Genesee Street to make it more family friendly. That was a wise move, and has resulted in one of the best St. Patrick’s Day parades across the state.

But after-parade festivities in the city’s brewery district traditionally draw thousands of revelers, and the large crowds and day-long drinking can be a recipe for trouble. Last year, after the post-parade fracas on March 10, then-Mayor Tim Julian put a plan into effect the following week when crowds again flocked to the area to celebrate the traditional St. Patrick’s Day.

Those rules addressed two key problems – overcrowded bars and open containers. They reinstated and required strict enforcement of occupancy limits.

LaBella said this week he has had several meetings with tavern owners as well as with police and fire officials in an effort to create a plan that will help maintain order and provide for the public safety.

For most people, the post-parade celebration provides a respite from the winter doldrums and is an opportunity to have a good time with family and friends. It is legal for people of age to consume alcoholic beverages, and bars and restaurants have every right to sell them. Unfortunately, personal responsibility is sometimes lacking.

City leaders must set the tone now by setting firm rules, communicating with the public and then strictly enforcing the law.